Indian Influence in Sri Lanka’s Civilization and Culture
Its proximity to India has led to Indian influence in Sri Lanka’s civilization and history, which led to independent growth and formation of a unique culture on the island-nation. Its early history is entwined with Indian legend, such as the epic Ramayana and stories about the Buddha. Sri Lanka’s two major ethnic groups, the Sinhalese and the Tamils, and the dominant religions of Buddhism and Hinduism, were both from India. The 5th century epic Mahavamsa, written in an old language called Pali (which is also the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism), delineates its ancient kingdoms and political powers.
The Arrival of the Portuguese
In 1505, the Portuguese Lourenço de Almeida and his fleet ended up in what is now Colombo, the largest city of modern-day Sri Lanka. At this point, the island had three ruling kingdoms: the Tamil kingdom of Jaffna, and the Sinhalese kingdoms in Kandy and Kotte. De Almeida received a cordial reception from the king of Kotte. By 1518, the Portuguese were given trading concessions in the kingdom; Portuguese control later expanded across the island.
Tourism in Sri Lanka
Period of 21st April 2019 to 21st May 2019 was India with total number of tourist arrivals of 9,238 followed by UK 3,297, Australia 2,484, Germany 2,168, France 2,015, China 1,762, Russia 1,568, Canada 1,506, United States 1,326, Japan 1,125, Netherlands 1,017. In consideration of age distribution, 58.3% were males and 41.7% were females for the said period. These signs highlight recovery of country’s tourism industry.”
Over 150 images of the Buddha, of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 meters.
The Kandy Kingdom and the Dutch Era
The Kandy kingdom managed to resist, remaining a bastion of the Buddhist faith against the incursion of Portuguese religious orders even during the Dutch era. It finally fell in 1815, when the Dutch ceded the island to the British.
It was trade and the island’s strategic location that attracted the Europeans to Ceylon: Dutch rule (1658-1796) was administered through the Dutch East India Company, and British rule (1796-1948) was marked by capitalist agriculture focused on coffee and (later) rubber and tea production.
The Rise of Ceylonese Nationalism
Ceylonese nationalism grew in the early 1900s, with Buddhist and Hinduist revivalist movements embracing Western education and contemporary practices in order to defend their faiths against Christian influence. Ceylon gained full independence in 1948, and changed its name in 1972 along with the proclamation of a new constitution.
Sri Lanka’s Stunning Landmarks
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya (“city of light”) is Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Located at an altitude of 1,868 metres and overlooked by Sri Lanka’s highest mountain, Pidurutalagala, Nuwara Eliya has a cool climate that attracted British civil servants working on the island. It is also referred to as “Little England” as many of the buildings retained architectural styles from the colonial period. You can see it in Nuwara Eliya’s post office below.
